These are criminal extortionists operating in overseas boiler rooms using VOIP to alter their identities and locations and out of the reach of US law enforcement.
If someone calls saying he's an IRS agent and demands that you send money immediately, hang up.
It's a phone scam.In fact, it tops the IRS "Dirty Dozen" list of tax scams this year, and it's been surging in recent months, the agency said Thursday.
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), which oversees the IRS, has received reports of 290,000 scam calls since October 2013 and said nearly 3,000 victims have been swindled out of $14 million so far.
By altering their caller ID number to make it look like they're calling from an IRS office, these scammers often threaten vulnerable people like the elderly and new immigrants with things like arrest, deportation or the loss of their driver's license if they don't pay immediately for money purportedly owed.
Often leaving messages that say it's "urgent" you call them back, the scammers use common names and sometimes say they are from the IRS Criminal Division. They may even claim to know the last four digits of your Social Security number and send follow-up emails that appear to be from the IRS, TIGTA said.
They often demand that payments be made by prepaid debit card.
Once they make their threats, the scammers have been known to call back and again disguise their caller ID so it appears they are calling from the police department or the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
Or sometimes when they call, they may say you have a refund due and ask you to provide personal information so you can claim it.
The real IRS will usually contact you by regular mail first, if it needs to contact you at all. And the agency never demands immediate payment by phone or asks for credit card or debit numbers if they do call. It also never asks for personal or financial information by email, text or social media.
If you get what you suspect is a scam call, report it to TIGTA through its Web site or call 800-366-4484.
FAKE! FAKE! FAKE! This is a complete fraud call. Came home to a voicemail from 760-666-2353 left by "Nathan" (with a horrible English accent) calling from the "Department of Legal Affairs." That's all I could make out due to his accent. No time to listen to him blather on. It's an obvious criminal scam coming from overseas. Number blocked.
The same thing happened to me from the same guy "Nathan", and thearthening that I have to call them with my attorney present to scare me. I did not call them back. How we can get rid of them? Any idea?
I don't think there is anyway to stop or get rid of them. At least "Nathan" is so bad at this scam that I doubt he fools anyone. Kind of sad. He's the type of scammer you just laugh at. I hope he can find gainful employment somewhere.
I received a scam phone call from someone claiming to be with the "Legal Affairs Department of Treasury."
The caller was "Nathan Conner" from San Diego. Callback number: 760-666-2353
I filed a complaint at: http://www.treasury.gov/tigta/contact_report_scam.shtml
Received a call from the same number. However his name is Adam Walker, Department of Legal Affairs. The message he left was similar to the ones posted (important message; have a legal attorney call him).